Sent by whom, flies out thither the mind? Harnessed by whom, roves thither the first breath? Who sends out the speech which we speak? Who is the Deva (deity, god) that harnesses the ears and eyes? "There the eye goes not, speech goes not, nor the mind. We know not, we understand not, how one would teach it? Other is it indeed than the known, and more over above the unknown. Thus from the forbearers, the doctrine has been transmitted to us. He, in whom It, Atman or Brahman awakes, knows it and finds immortality That he is itself, gives him strength That he knows it, gives immortality. He, who found it here below, possesses the truth, For him who has not found it here, it is great destruction, In every being, the wise being perceives it, and departing out of this world, becomes immortal. The fable begins by asserting that in a war between gods and demons, the Brahman won victory for the gods. The gods, however, praised themselves for the victory, saying, "Of us is this victory, of us is this might and glory". The Brahman noticed this. It revealed itself before the gods, who did not recognize and know it. The gods said, "what is this wonderful being?" They delegated god Agni (fire) to go discover who this wonderful being is. Agni rushed to Brahman. The Brahman asked, "who are you?". Agni replied, "I am Agni, knower of beings". Brahman asked, "if so, what is the source of your power". Agni replied, "I am able to burn whatever is on earth." The Brahman then laid a piece of grass before Agni, and said, "Burn this, then." Agni rushed to the grass and tried his best to burn it. He failed. He turned back and returned to the gods. Agni told the gods, "I am unable to discover what this wonderful being is". The gods then nominated god Vayu (air) to go, and "explore, O Vayu, what this wonderful being is". Vayu rushed to Brahman. The Brahman asked, "who are you?". Vayu replied, "I am Vayu, I am Matarisvan (what fills the aerial space around mother earth, mover in space)". Brahman asked, "if so, what is the source of your power". Vayu replied, "I am able to carry or pull whatever is on earth." The Brahman then laid a piece of grass before Vayu, and said, "Carry this, then." Vayu rushed to the grass and tried his best to lift and carry it away. He failed. He turned back and returned to the gods. Vayu told his fellow gods, "I am unable to discover what this wonderful being is". The gods then turned to god Indra (lightning, god of might) to go, and "explore, O mighty one, what this wonderful being is". "So be it", said Indra. Indra went to Brahman. There, in the place of Brahman, he found a beautiful woman with knowledge. Her name was Uma. Indra asked Uma, "what is this wonderful being?" Goddess Uma replied, "that is the Brahman; that is the one who obtained victory, through gods praise themselves for it". Indra then knew. The tradition holds that Agni, Vayu and Indra are elevated above all other gods, respected first in ceremonies and rituals, because these three "met" and "experienced" the Brahman first. Indra is most celebrated because he "knew" Brahman first, among all gods. Brahman is all of which the Upanishads speak. — Kena Upanishad